Solons want CARP extension reso amended - Lagman

MANILA, Philippines - Majority of House members have arrived at a consensus to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) for another six months but minus the compulsory acquisition component, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said on Wednesday. In a press conference after the all-member caucus on CARP, Lagman said an "overwhelming" number of congressmen instead want to draft a new resolution wherein the extended agrarian reform program will only cover lands through the voluntary offer to sell (VOS) and voluntary land transfer (VLT) schemes. Lands that have been issued notices of CARP coverage under the compulsory acquisition classification will no longer be covered by the extended CARP, said Lagman. "It appears that the consensus is we can have a joint resolution extending the land acquisition and distribution component of the CARP but limited to the agricultural land where land owners have volunteered to sell, that's VOS, and voluntary land transfer," said Lagman. Lagman, who along with House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr, is one of the three authors of the original joint resolution seeking to extend CARP. Lagman said he will not be an author of the amended resolution, which he said may be filed by Defensor and "many other co-authors." Lagman lamented that under the amended resolution, agrarian reform will now rest on the "sole discretion of the landowners." "This will not anymore cover lands where there is resistance from owners," said Lagman. "Under the Constitution what is mandated is the acquisition and distribution of all agricultural lands," he added, saying anything less than that will possible be in violation of the Constitutional mandate. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV